© 2020 Sharing Parenting Ltd, Newmarket, Suffolk, UK

Text by Kate Ruttle

Illustrations by Jane Swift

https://www.sharingparenting.com/

Sharing Parenting is a community interest company based in Newmarket, Suffolk. We work in partnership with parents, carers, schools, children’s centres, community groups and the general public to share good quality and reliable information and support with parents and professionals.

To All Corona-Superheroes

With COVID-19 in our world, we need your help to keep everyone safe!

This book will help you to learn about the disease and find ways to keep yourself and others safe and well.

I hope you enjoy the book and have fun doing the activities.

It’s a hard job you’ve got now, but I’m sure you will do it well.

Good luck and stay safe.

Suzanne Director, Sharing Parenting

A new virus has been unleashed into the world.

There are no medicines to cure it.

Yet.

There are no vaccines to keep it away.

Yet.

We need YOU to be a

Corona-Superhero.

Use all the colours of the rainbow to colour the Corona-Superhero

Draw yourself as a superhero. Which superpowers will you have?

Be a Corona- Superhero

1

Corona-Superheroes know their enemy

Before you can fight an enemy, you need to know what you are fighting.

There are lots of coronavirus germs around the world in both humans and animals. They usually cause flu and colds in humans. This new one is sometimes called novel corona and is also known as SARS-CoV2.

Instead of causing flu and colds, SARS-CoV2 causes a disease known as COVID-19 (which is short for COronaVIrus Disease 2019).

Why is COVID-19 such a problem?

Most germs are not dangerous. They may make us feel unwell for a few days, but then we get better.

SARS-CoV2 is a new coronavirus and it seems to be much more powerful than most other coronavirus germs. None of the usual medicines or vaccines work.

Most people who catch the illness feel poorly for a few days. Some people don’t feel anything and don’t even know they have it! But for other people, particularly older people, it can make them very, very ill. Corona-Superheroes know how to be careful so you can help to look after everybody else as well as yourself.

Can you spot 8 differences between these germs?

Which one is the coronavirus?

2

How big is a coronavirus germ?

These germs are tiny. They’re so small you can’t see them, even with a normal microscope or even with Superhero vision!

100,000,000 (one hundred million) virus cells could fit on a pin top.

That’s a lot of tiny viruses!

Coronavirus germs are covered with little spikes.

These look a bit like crowns. The word ‘corona’ in coronavirus describes these crowns.

How does coronavirus spread?

If you stand near a window and breathe out through your nose or mouth, you make a mist on the window. This mist is made of thousands of tiny water droplets. Every time you breath, cough or sneeze you add water droplets to the air.

The coronavirus germs live in people’s mouths, throats and noses. When someone who has the virus breathes out, coughs or sneezes, the germs come

out of their mouth and nose in those tiny drops of water. Some of the bigger water droplets fall onto nearby surfaces, but others stay in the air.

Coronavirus germs spread if you are close enough to someone else to breathe in the droplets they make when they breathe out, cough or sneeze.

3

Bigger water droplets can also spread coronavirus germs. These droplets don’t stay in the air for so long, but they do land on surfaces.

Try an experiment- outside

Fill a spray bottle with water. Give it a quick gentle squeeze. This is like breathing. Do all the droplets travel the same distance? Measure how far the water reaches.

Now give the spray bottle a sudden, hard squeeze. This is like sneezing. How much further did the droplets travel?

Try to find out what you can do to keep safe from water droplets in the air.

Can you spot 10 coronavirus germs hiding in this picture?

4

You cannot catch COVID-19 through your skin. But if you touch something with coronavirus germs on it, the germs can get onto your hands. If you then touch food or put your hands near your eyes, nose or mouth, the germs can get inside your body and make you ill.

Try an experiment- inside

Sprinkle some black pepper on a bowl of water. Pretend the pepper is coronavirus germs. Dip your finger into the water. Can you see the ‘germs’ sticking to your finger?

Now cover your finger with washing up liquid. Dip it back in the water. What happens? What do the germs do now? Do they stick to your finger? This shows what happens when you wash your hands.

Can you find out: How long can the virus live on different surfaces like paper, hard plastic, food wrappings, paper and cushions?

Use all the colours of the rainbow to colour the Corona-Superhero.

5

Corona-Superheroes look after themselves

What are the symptoms of COVID-19? People who have coronavirus germs don’t all feel ill in the same way- and some don’t feel ill at all.

The main symptoms of COVID-19 are:

• Taste and smell: you can’t taste or smell things like chocolate, or they taste or smell different.

• Temperature: you get a fever (a temperature higher than 37oC). Even without a thermometer you’ll know if you have a fever because:

o your skin feels hot (but you may still feel cold and shivery). o you might be sweaty. o you might have red cheeks. o you won’t feel very well.

Cough: you get a cough which goes on and on. If you already have a cough- for example if you have asthma- this cough will feel different.

Having these symptoms does NOT always mean you have COVID-19. But if you, or anyone in your house, gets any of these symptoms you all need to stay inside and get tested. Just in case.

Try to find out how you would get a coronavirus test. Write the phone number and email address here.

6

Choose your own colours to colour the coronavirus.

How can we protect ourselves?

One of the simplest things Corona-Superheroes can do to keep safe is to wash your hands. Properly! Coronavirus germs hate soap and water.

1. Wet your hands with water 2. Put soap on your hands and rub them

together. 3. Clean

• the palms of your hands • the backs of your hands

• between your fingers • your thumbs • the tips of your fingers.

4. Rinse your hands to get all the soap off. 5. Dry your hands carefully.

If you can’t wash your hands, use hand gel to clean them.

Remember- you can’t catch COVID-19 through your skin. But if you touch your mouth, eyes or nose you can pass the germs into your body. While COVID-19 is around, we should all wash our hands more than usual.

Try to find out how long you should spend washing your hands each time.

7

What can we do to look after ourselves?

Corona-Superheroes know that it’s OK to feel happy or excited or sad or worried. Remember, this will pass, and things will change.

Things you can do to keep yourself OK include:

• Notice your feelings and talk about them if you can. • Draw pictures that show how you feel. • Identify the emotions you’re feeling. • Understand that different feelings make you behave in different

ways. • Know how to make yourself and others feel better after unhappy

feelings.

I felt

because_____

___________

___________

___________

I felt

because_____

___________

___________

___________

I felt

because_____

___________

___________

___________

I felt

because_____

___________

___________

___________

Draw on the faces to show feelings you have felt recently.

Write what the emotions were. Say why you felt that way. 8

Corona-Superheroes may feel better if you:

• try to keep in touch with friends or family. You might be able to phone them, or have a video chat, or even meet up with him. Ask an adult before you get close enough for a hug though.

• do things you enjoy doing outside like riding a bike, going for a walk or learning to ride a skateboard.

• try new activities like dance videos or yoga.

• do things you enjoy doing inside like making things, reading, doing puzzles or playing games.

• go on a nature treasure hunt and find nature all around you.

If you feel unsafe at home, or there’s no-one you can talk to about your worries, phone Childline on 0800 1111.

Use a rainbow of colours to colour

the picture.

9

Corona-Superheroes protect other people

Keep your distance

If you stay at a slight distance from other people, you are less likely to breathe in infected droplets if they have coronavirus germs- or to give other people your germs.

The safest distance is about 2 metres. That’s about the length of three arms! So, if you want to chat to a friend, both of you hold your arms out and make sure there is an arm’s length between your fingertips and your friend’s fingertips.

If you can’t be that far apart, try:

• being outside so the wind will blow droplets further away.

• sitting beside them instead of opposite them so you are not breathing too close to each other.

• not to be in a small space, like a tent or den, together.

You don’t have to worry about people you live with, but you should try to keep a short distance from other people.

2 metres

10

Don’t share

Try not to touch things that lots of other people have touched. That makes it harder to play some games, but there are still lots of games you can play.

• Learn to hula-hoop. • Play target games- where each of you throws a different colour beanbag or ball at your own target. • Play footgolf- where you kick a ball into a bucket or hoop

• Practise skipping- where each person has their own rope. • Go for a ride on your bikes, scooters or skateboards.

If you have space indoors or out, craft activities are a great way of spending time with a friend, but it isn’t a good idea to share equipment.

And after you have played with your friends, make sure you wash your hands.

Use a tissue

Corona-Superheroes keep others safe by using tissues when you sneeze or cough. If germs are caught in the tissue and thrown away, they can’t lie in wait for someone to touch them. If you don’t have a tissue, catch the sneeze on your jumper sleeve. After you have coughed or sneezed, remember to wash your hands.

11

Corona-Superheroes in the community

As fewer people in the country have COVID-19, we are going out more. But we need to remember that the coronavirus germs are still out there. We still need you to be a Corona-Superhero.

Cover your face.

If you are in a busy place, with lots of

people you don’t know- like on a bus or in a shop-you may need to cover your mouth and nose. This stops you from accidentally spreading germs if you have them.

Don’t touch

Corona-Superheroes try not to touch things you don’t need to touch so you don’t accidentally spread germs.

Be careful not to touch your mouth, eyes and nose.

Use hand gel or wash your hands as soon as you can.

How many coronavirus germs can you spot?

12

Going Back to School

Your teachers at school want you to keep safe too. This means that school will probably be different from how it was before. For example:

• You may have to stay with your own class bubble all day. You may not be able to play with people in other classes.

• There may not be assemblies, inside PE, drama, or other activities with lots of people or lots of moving around.

• You might have dinner or playtime a bit earlier or later than before. • You may have to stay a bit further away from your friends. • You may not be able to share equipment like pencils and rulers.

All the adults will try to keep the school as clean and safe as possible.

School will still be school, though.

• You’ll be with some of your friends

• You’ll get to know your new teachers. • You’ll have all your lessons and learn lots of exciting new things. • School will be as safe as everyone can make it for you.

Corona-Superheroes, like you, help to keep everyone safe and well. 13

Being the parent of a Superhero Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope your child enjoys this book and finds fun as well as courage within it.

Being the parent of a Superhero is no mean feat and can be a lot of work ……

Things to remember that will help your superhero save the world …

Connect – Connect with them regularly; smile when you see them; light up when they come in the room; talk to them about what they are doing to save the world; do things together, no matter how small. It all keeps them strong.

Capable – Your Superhero is going to be busy and they will be doing things they haven’t done before. Let them know you have faith in their abilities. If they make a mistake, show them that Superheroes are also learning machines, and we can all learn from our mistakes. Let them try new ‘safe’ tasks and jobs - it all helps them feel Supercapable! They can then progress to even more advanced tasks and learning.

Count – Show your Superhero they count too! It’s not just about saving the world. They are important and what they think and feel matters. Superheroes are great but they need a good pair of ears from a parent or carer to listen to them and help them feel special, so they know that they count! Talk about Superfeelings and the tasks ahead. Superhero Parents and Carers have two ears and one mouth. Listen twice as much as you talk to help your little hero feel that they matter too ����

Courage – Build courage in your Superhero through encouragement. It’s what they will need in their task ahead. Catch them being good! Notice all the hard work they put into their tasks and focus on effort rather than the outcomes. Recognise that they are working hard at this time.

Lastly …

Remember that you need to stay strong so that you can support your Superhero! Take regular time out for you as that will help everyone…

Suzanne Pearson

Psychologist Sharing Parenting

Crucial Cs © Amy Lew and Betty Lou Bettner, 1996, 2000

www.sharingparenting.com